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March 18, 2022 8:00 am
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When opportunity knocks you will be encouraged to open the door and wisdom to walk through it. Just a few moments, Pastor Paul Sheppard shares today's destined for victory message seizing the opportunities before you, but before he gets started. He joins us from a studio in California.
Pastor has been one thing it is been certain over the past many months has been the uncertainty of our times.
It's one of the reasons we want to encourage everyone to have this months offer a book titled trusting God in scary times. So tell us about this great resource and how what God did in Abraham's life can be an encouragement to us. It started with me thinking personally about what was it like to be Abraham having to send your wife Hagar and your's firstborn son Ishmael away from the family home. You know that had to be awfully scary.
I thought about what what would it be like to be Hagar and to be Ishmael and subtly you are put out of your home, and you're going God knows where to do. God knows what that had to be awfully scary.
Frankly sometimes in our lives we hit scary moments they might not be what these people experienced.
But if you've ever been through some tough times in my grandmamma what is it, if you haven't yet keep on living because it's gonna happen is going to happen right and the result is you're going to wonder Lord, how in the world am I going to get through this. Whatever your this is him so I wrote this some this part of the series and I wrote this booklet with the desire and the hope and prayer that God would help people understand that he is available to us, even in scary moments. His faithfulness is certain, and although it doesn't feel very good. The Lord has promised that he is going to finish the good work he began enough so I pray that those who receive this booklet, which they can have at their request this month as they donate. I pray that it will be a real blessing and it will help them through the scariest moments in their lives. You know the word of God tells us in second Timothy one verse seven that the Lord is not given us a spirit of fear but of love power and a sound mind. Again, the booklet is called trusting God in scary times and it's our gift to you this month by request for your generous donation to Destin for victory call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online.
You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538.
Again, our address is destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 your past me of what God said is going to be all I can to tell somebody something. I years ago an American theologian wrote what we now know as the serenity prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can, the wisdom to know the difference on today's destined for victory. Pastor Paul Sheppard talks about two key words from that prayer, courage and wisdom you need both to reach her destiny in Christ. So here's Pastor Paul. Today's message seizing the opportunities for you. First Kings chapter 17. Let me read some selected verses, beginning with verse one large of a test by of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years except at my word, then the word of the Lord came to him and said get away from here and turn eastward hide by the Brook Sheriff which flows from into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Sheriff's flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and Brandon meet in the evening, and he drank from the brook will pause right there. This is clearly part one causes much more.
This message that I need to deliver than I can do now, so I'll just get it kicked off in these moments and pick it up next week this message I'm sure is a Rhema word for some of you Fremont is a great term that just indicates it is a timely, very specific, timely word to meet certain targeted needs at a certain time and this is a Rhema word for some of you who have been wondering how you're going to deal with the challenges you face. Whether those challenges are financial or other types of challenges but you're feeling really depressed feeling really. I don't know what's going to happen.
The Lord has sent this word especially for you. But even if you're not in a tight place of feeling like that always take the word jotted down because sooner or later you're going to need that word, and so whether you're in that space right now.
Pay attention to what I'm going to say in these messages because it will come in handy now look with me at verse one again. Elijah, who was a prophet is sent by God to the king whose name in this season of Israel's existence is Ahab.
Ahab is a man who, although leading God's people. He is not doing it God's way. He first of all, he married wrong and I want tell all y'all who want to marry make sure that you marry somebody who's going where God is taking you because if you marry in the wrong direction from where God is taking you, then you suddenly have the pool do I do God's will.
Lord, do I do my spouse's will, and it is never a good idea to marry somebody with the hope that they'll get their act together one day. None of you have ever done that are known anybody who's ever done that but I have met some folks who married somebody with just the blind hope one of these days I don't get their act together or married somebody with obvious issues that they're not addressing and when somebody brings up what you know he or she has this issue or that or the other. What makes you think that you all.
I just believe that things are going work out. I'm so tired of people who just practice. It's not even blind faith.
It's just presumption that is based on nothing if you're going to expect something that needs to be a track record, something that indicates I have the right to have this expectation. But I have over the years.
Amanda past I've had full brings some in front of me and stand it up and say pastor. He is and you know looking like really is what you will bring in front of me and pass the heat and he said you save yet when he said that he doesn't mind me coming to church and that one day he might, you know, he might just save himself one day I'm supposed to be impressed. Listen, make sound decisions for your life because they going to have major impact if you want to go somewhere good. Then make sure your company is right. Don't be a Ahab Marion Jezebel and think you will have something worth living your life with and this dude was married to a woman. He was the king title but she ran the show and one of the things she did. Is she made sure that the practice of serving false gods came into the life of Israel under Ahab's reign. That was a different buying point God said specifically what back and exited the 10 Commandments thou shalt have no other gods before me. But know when you hook up with the wrong person. They'll try to talk you in the some nonsense and so they have this massive a marriage and she's leading God's people in to idolatry nosy when the king but you didn't have to be the king when you when you're the boss of the matter what the title is that he is not a whole lot alive, where he thinking ahead, but on the neck that turned that he compulsively and so they only bother him, letting thinking ahead only one that neck is where the term is where that here goes. In some systems are probably the neck that's the way Jezebel was and she had God's people in all kinds of mass and so look at what's happening here in first Kings God is ready to send judgment upon his people and he uses his prophet Elijah. Elijah pronounces there's not going to be due nor rain for years until I say so that the first thing I want to mention to you for whom this is a Rhema were doing God's will doesn't exempt us from experiencing difficulties difficult thing doing God's word sees a lot of think just because I'm doing God's will that exempt me from trouble.
Wouldn't it be nice if that were the case, but how many of you have been like me you live long know you can get in trouble doing the will of God. You can get in the you can get it all the difficulty sometimes the worst circumstances come after you've done the will of God. Do not let the enemy tell you if you were doing God's will, then you wouldn't be going through this. Don't let the enemy tell you what Job's comforters said to him, it must be something wrong with your life that you're going through all this myth, somebody is going through all kinds of misery. And if you're not careful you let some put you on the false condemnation and they'll tell you this is that something wrong in your life. No trouble doing the will of God have been dead center in the will of God at times when I couldn't see my way for anything mean your circumstances dictate your experience with God. So I need you to know you're doing God's will. Just like Elijah did. But notice this when he pronounces this word a prophecy that is not going to be rain or do until I say is going to be here as long as God is going to be here as long as he implies he's implying that not all be rain all be in trouble because drought means that the crops fail and all kinds of difficulty will be hungry and thirsty and in major trouble and he is a less than right when it drops going to be see it when I felt love it when I see I did the will of God spoke that word and all of them were in drought, but God was just raining down on me personally is not the way that goals it's not that I can't see cause and effect all the time in the kingdom of God. Sometimes the effect seems to belie the call because he is he's doing God's will be effective. I came drink and my food supply is limited just like everybody else you know it rains on the just and the unjust.
And so he's doing the will of God what he's about to go into the ground just along with the other people will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard listen to the broadcast on demand of Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net to find a host of great resources in our online store, including books and DVD messages from now the second half of today's destined for victory message from Dennis Pastor seizing the opportunities before you I need you to know, doing God's will doesn't exempt us from experiencing difficult things so I want you to stop. First of all, buying the lies somebody is buying the lie. I wouldn't be going through this. If I had to.
And then here's what the enemy loves to do.
He'll make you push rewind look back in your life at some dumb decisions you made and then he'll say see that is because of this stop looking at me like know what I'm talking about you marry somebody crazy. See if you had married them.
You know how much better off your life would be now. What was your mother left you a bunch of bills and mass and foolishness and stop but God will bring you through that the devil your past to your story is what it is my destiny and what God said is going be all I came to tell somebody some three lie.
If you think my determine my future you got another thought coming because we serve the God of Romans 828 take everything and wanted to gather, making my background. Yes, I got crazy in my life right now called according to God where God is going to take me from here and I need to shake off that condemnation.
There is no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit may not mean from this moment get what crazy mess you made in your path from today I'm walking in the spirit made some poor choices back then but I would do what God to do when I'm not even sure I'm supposed to do it right now undergoing on the side of safety.
Goblin believed God that my future is brighter than my past to take that which you right now and you'll set up my future will be in Jesus name I can't change the past but I can sure move past it. I can forget those things that are behind and reaching forward to things that are in front of me but came to tell somebody who married bad and now somebody else a believer of faith walk in person is looking for you and winking and blinking and kernel praise God.
Don't think I'm too scared because the last one acted like they knew the Lord with all spiritual so I don't know just check this one out better prayerfully because Ernie had the right same surround you get some folk around you know how to discern somebody you know me you know my pastoral approach run by me. I need you coming to go to Mount Nebo, that's all right. Have him take a day off from Mount Nebo and come close.
My path leads them member know who you all will roll run badly as they come in they think you looking good and nice and just submit my spirit is arm is sometimes obvious, trying to help somebody you know not want him to walk away what you will crack.
Now all you thinking what I can tell somebody just because you messed up with the first one that mean that's going be what happens. Again marry better marry right marry prayerfully and marry in covenant with folk who will tell you the truth I told you we got build relationships that have kingdom to them. What's kingdom quality that means I'm not going let you make a mess without showing you this is not a good idea so we all got your club, you will need your fan club help you get where God is taken.
You need proper 1717 people at all times.
There is more important that the newly somebody who loves at all times, only that: fair weather friends plan leads you when the sun is doing is storming with Casey my way. That's when I need a friend. The pull-ups we don't get this phone and I need somebody who will tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth you need people in your life who say two things. One is a question once a statement make sure all the people around you have the authority to make two statements one to question the person I love you right if you have people who can say I love you right is going to hurt your feelings.
That's why they give you that anesthesia you know I love you right that a number anesthesia to catch you up with the truth. You know I love you right and then the other thing they need to be able come on somebody please accept this. I feel the tension Sharon. The other thing that will save you is healthier for me it wasn't me that many men are going to dress you down in front of everybody else got some tough to say.
Their point is not to embarrass, you need some folk who say see you for minute and they pull you aside, this will be a one-on-one conversation when I'm not in front of everybody else.
You're the most wonderful being imaginable, but in privacy.
I got tell you about yourself do y'all have people who you give them permission defectively what you need to say is when y'all see me tripping you better say some that's what you mean. You need some folk you told that when y'all see me tripping say something at your job to say some where they look at you as a role all right, that's fine. But until you tell you're not helping them.
People say softly coming what I need. What you morning quarterback and I told you before the game started. Tell me when you have the opportunity to look right.
That didn't sound right. I don't think is right. You need to get yourself together. You need to apologize for that. People will tell you what shouldn't be here.
Make sure you got, you know I love you right and can I see you for minute folk because God wants to get you somewhere in the right people can help you get there and so difficulty is going to be there, which is why we gotta have our lives organized in such a way that we are going to experience God's best in our lives. Despite the challenges that we face. Now let's look at verses two through seven and where I have to leave off. I'll pick it up in the next message word of the Lord comes when get away from here. Turn eastward, hide by the Brook Sheriff which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you drink from that broke and I've commanded ravens to feed you there now.
The premise of this whole series is about fearless living and the fact of the matter is later on in the next message. I'll show you where the fear theme comes into play. And now we have to address it right now though I'm setting it up and I want you to understand when Elijah speaks this word and experiences drought along with the other people when you're in God's will you have trouble just like everybody else. The difference though is your trouble becomes God's trouble. The reason why you want to walk with the Lord is because when you're in trouble.
God says don't worry about it you not in there by yourself and I began the good work in you and I will bring it to completion and so I'm going to bring you. Thanks for being here for today's message seizing the opportunities before you.
For more information about Destin for victory or how you can get your copy of Pastor Paul Shepard's booklet trusting God and scary times stop by our website Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net I came to tell somebody you will take care God's business doing as well.
God has blessings that are supernaturally made sure he will bless you in ways that don't even make sense. I'm not telling you what I think I'm telling you what I live. That's next, I would Pastor Paul Shepard's message seizing the opportunities before you. Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory